Multiple explosions shake a mosque in an Indonesian high school, injure 55
Jakarta (AP): Multiple explosions shook a mosque at a high school during Friday prayers in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, injuring at least 55 people, mostly students. Police tried to dissuade speculation that the blasts were a terror attack and said they were investigating.
Witnesses told local television stations that they heard at least two loud blasts around midday, from inside and outside the mosque, just as the sermon had started at the mosque at SMA 27, a state high school within a navy compound in Jakarta's northern Kelapa Gading neighbourhood.
Students and others ran out in panic as gray smoke filled the mosque.
Most of the victims suffered minor to severe injuries from glass shards and burns. The cause of the explosions was not immediately known but they came from near the mosque's loudspeaker, according to Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, from where some were sent home after initial treatment but 20 students remained hospitalised for burns, three of them with serious injuries, the police chief said.
Videos circulating in social media showed dozens of students in school uniform running in panic across the school's basketball court, some covering their ears with their hands, apparently to protect themselves from the loud blasts.
Some of the injured were carried on stretchers to waiting cars.
Shocked relatives of the students gathered at centres set up at Yarsi and Cempaka Putih hospitals to seek information about loved ones. Parents told television stations their children had wounds from being hit in the head, feet and hands by sharp nails and pieces of exploding objects.
Suheri, the police chief, said an anti-bomb squad that was deployed at the scene found toy rifles and a toy gun near the mosque.
“Police are still investigating the scene to determine the cause,” he said and urged against speculation that the incident was an attack before police investigation is completed.
“Let the authorities work first,” Suheri said. “We will convey whatever the results are to the public.”
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, was struck by a major militant attack in 2002 when al-Qaida staged bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.
In subsequent years, there have been mostly smaller, less deadly strikes that have targeted foreigners, the government, police and anti-terrorism forces, as well as those considered infidels by militant groups.
In December 2022, a Muslim militant and convicted bomb-maker who was released from prison the previous year, blew himself up at a police station in West Java, killing an officer and wounding 11 people.
Since 2023, the Southeast Asia nation has experienced what authorities here call a “zero attack phenomenon,” crediting the government with the stable security situation.
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What is Iran’s 10-point plan? Key demands ahead of US talks in Islamabad
Tehran/Islamabad: Iran has outlined a 10-point plan as the basis for upcoming talks with the United States, expected to begin in Islamabad on April 11, according to a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.
The plan lays out Tehran’s key political, military and economic demands, and is being seen as a framework for negotiations following the recent escalation in the region.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A major focus of the plan is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has proposed “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces,” which it says would give the country a unique economic and geopolitical position.
The plan also calls for the “establishment of a safe transit protocol” in the Strait that would guarantee Iran’s dominance under an agreed mechanism.
Call to end conflict
Iran has demanded “the necessity of ending the war against all elements of the axis of resistance,” signalling its expectation that hostilities should stop not only in Iran but also involving allied groups in the region.
US troop withdrawal
Another key demand is the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region,” indicating Tehran’s long-standing position against American military presence in West Asia.
Sanctions relief and compensation
The plan places strong emphasis on economic measures. It calls for “full payment of Iran’s damages according to estimates,” along with “the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council.”
It also seeks “the release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad,” which have been a major point of contention for years.
Binding global guarantee
Finally, Iran has demanded that all these terms be formally recognised through “a binding Security Council resolution,” suggesting it wants international legal backing to ensure enforcement.
What this means
The 10-point plan reflects Iran’s broader push for security guarantees, economic relief and regional influence. The upcoming talks in Islamabad are expected to test how far both sides are willing to negotiate on these demands.
